The Department of Justice on Thursday said it is finalizing three pending resolutions involving flood control cases linked to contractor SYMS Construction and Trading.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said no new cases have been filed in court, but noted that prosecutors are currently working on three of the five cases involving the company.
Two of the three cases have already been filed before the Sandiganbayan.
Martinez said the resolutions were initially expected to be issued last week and within this week, adding that work on the cases is ongoing.
He said the cases are already for finalization and will be released soon.
At present, Martinez said there are 14 flood control-related cases pending before the DOJ, involving charges such as malversation, falsification of public documents, and graft.
He said the DOJ is fast-tracking the resolution of the cases while stressing the need for careful and thorough review.
Martinez said under the revised manual for prosecutors, cases must be resolved within 60 days from the time of filing.
The deadline may be extended by up to 30 days for complex cases, such as those involving flood control projects.
However, he said the DOJ recognizes the urgency of the cases and is prioritizing the resolution of the three pending matters.
Martinez also acknowledged public frustration over the pace of case filings.
“but again it’s all part of a bigger process that the justice system make sure is available, accessible and fair to everyone,” he said.